McCrory, NCDOT engineers tour WNC rain damage

Days of heavy rainfall in Western North Carolina are causing flooding and landslides in several mountain counties, damaging roads and impacting travel.

Special to the Times-News

RALEIGH - Days of heavy rainfall in Western North Carolina are causing flooding and landslides in several mountain counties, damaging roads and impacting travel.

On Friday, Gov. Pat McCrory, state legislators, N.C. Department of Transportation engineers and local law enforcement toured some of the hardest hit areas in Madison County, McCrory's office said in a news release.

They saw the storms' impacts firsthand and talked with residents about their commitment to rebuild damaged roadways as quickly as possible.

“We spent the morning checking in with residents of Madison County where storm debris litters properties and several roads were either impassable or damaged,” McCrory said.

NCDOT crews are currently assessing the damage and determining the most efficient ways to make repairs. In many areas, flood waters remain too high to discern the full extent of the storms' impacts. Once the water recedes, inspectors will examine roads, pipes and bridges that are now underwater and decide if repairs are needed.

“Safety is our top priority, and as rain lingers in the forecast, our crews are working hard to monitor changing highway conditions in the mountains,” NCDOT Secretary Tony Tata said in the release. “We have been collaborating with many agencies and departments, and once the storms clear, we will act quickly to repair and reopen affected roads, so we can keep people connected.”

In Transylvania County, heavy rain caused a landslide below Silverstein Road, forcing one lane of the road to close. This is also a through road, meaning residents can still access their homes.

The road is down to one lane at this time. Estimates are it will take approximately two weeks to repair this slide area.

In Buncombe County, a mudslide on Vance Gap Road has blocked off the area near the Governor's Western Mansion. NCDOT is currently evaluating the situation, as well as other areas still dealing with flooding.

Storms caused the shoulder of Waterfalls Road in Patterson near Lenoir to fail. The road is located parallel to U.S. 321. This is a wooded secondary road with steep slopes along which a section about 120 feet wide and 200 feet deep collapsed.

Traffic is currently moving through the area; however, the shoulder remains blocked off from traffic.

Motorists are advised to proceed with caution in areas with standing water.

For real-time travel information at any time, call 511, visit our travel webpage or follow NCDOT on Twitter. To see images of the storm damage, go to the NCDOT Facebook page. To view a map of the areas experiencing storm damage, visit this Google map.